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Bridge to Somewhere
Asteroid Damocles Asteroid Damocles is a medium-sized rocky/metallic mix asteroid. It is in a thoroughly boring, unfrequented patch of space and contains no interesting or useful elements that would really be worth mining. There are a few reasonably flat stretches on it. Hook has arrived. Galvatron has arrived. Fleet has arrived. Scrapper keeps getting dragged away from rebuilding Ayotzinco. First, there was that inspection tour of that freaky ring. Now, Galvatron wants Scrapper to build something that is frankly mysterious and baffling. The last time Galvatron asked Scrapper to build something that was frankly mysterious and baffling, it was a cannon that almost turned the universe into a mess of fractals. So he's just a bit leery of the current assignment. The plans are laid out on a table on the asteroid, and most of the parts obtained by raids are in piles nearby. Junky old asteroid? Good as place as any. The lower gravity sure makes the heavy lifting easier. And it turns out that Galvatron is here, too, standing somewhat behind Scrapper. While he's content to let the Constructicons build whatever they must, he also wants to ensure that it will work, and use his presence as a reminder of the consequences of it not working. "Well? Can you build it?" Hook fiddles around with his PDA and clears his medical schedule transferring all regular maintenance duties to Harrow while he works with Scrapper on some montrous death weapons. The last invesntions were quite up 'there' in the mad category. Way madder than his FPDCASPC...Gotta have a closer look at what we will be working on today. Fleet was ordered here. He was none-too-thrilled with receiving the orders. They smacked of volunteerism. The Seeker glumly looks around for other Seekers to try to blend in with. Can they build it? Scrapper answers enthusiastically, "Yes!" and tosses his arms in the air, as if he's very excited. Despite this being the vaccuum of space, some theme music starts to play in the background... Galvatron narrows his eyes, nodding his head a bit. Sure, the Constructicons have never let him down before, but the wise tyrant never lowers his standards for *anyone.* "Really?" Galvatron says as the music begins to pick up. "*Show me.*" Hook nods as well "Of course we can build this lord Galvatron. There will be a few restrictions though. Namely in term of usage. I foresee putting a socket for getting alternate power because the batteries themselves will not last 5-10 transports. Maybe I can fix that with an...add-on perhaps." Fleet places his arms behind his back and looks around nervously. No other Seekers. Damn! He leans in to hear what the others are talking about, blissfully unaware of any music, but is careful not to actually say anything. Scrapper commands Fleet, "Get to work folding the parachutes!" The little capsule will have totally awesome parachutes that can pop-out, to soften their landings after they enter the atmosphere. "Here are the instructions." He tries to shove a set of instructions into Fleet's hands. Surely, folding is not too hard, even for a Seeker. Fleet receives the instructions from Scrapper. He frowns, and unfolds the instructions. The instructions arguably have a more complex folding pattern than the parachutes themselves, however. When Fleet is done reading them, he might be able to fold the parachutes... but not the instructions. Galvatron waves a hand dismissively at Hook's concerns. "That isn't a problem. The only thing that matters is if the transmitter successfully activates!" Somedays won't end ever and somedays pass on by, I'll be working here forever, at least until I die. Dammed if you do, dammed if you don't I'm supposed to get a raise week, you know damn well I won't. Galvatron then looms over Fleet's shoulder as he reads the instructions. He looks at the instructions, too, then glares over at Fleet. Fleet's shoulder is being loomed over by Galvatron. Oh, Primus. Fleet looks up at Galvatron nervously, then down at the instructions. He tries to focus on them, but it's rather hard to do that! Hook looks a bit surprised at Galvatron's reply. "Ok...Well if power is no concern it will make our job much easier. Still we will need to know in what form will the mini-spacebridge be powered so we can build the proper adaptors, condensators and the wiring itself. We do not need to know right away if you want to keep it a secret but we will need to know before we finish assembling the whole thing." He turns to Scrapper "The capsules will need to be cheap and disposable right? How about some duresteel plates covered with those black ceramic tiles we use for Blast Off's alt mode?" Scrapper gets very, very worried when Galvatron isn't concerned about power sources. He asks, "If I may... just what are we trying to do with these, anyway? I mean, you want them to be able to survive atmospheric entry, but they're space-bridge emitters. If we just want to get troops to a planet, fast, we have shuttles..." He rubs the back of his helmet. Then, he considers Hook's suggestion. "Those'll work. We do have more ceramics in stock, even if they need to be reprocessed." Thank you, Backfire. Workin' for a livin' (workin') Workin' for a livin' (workin') Workin' for a livin', livin' and workin' I'm taking what they giving 'cause I'm working for a livin'. "How you power it is YOUR concern, Constructicons," Galvatron says. "I don't care if it takes a direct uplink to the Absolution's main reactor! But know that the space bridges will be required to transport ENTIRE PLANETS to a... certain destination. Once you're finished..." He looks around the rock they're working on. "We may test your creations *here.*" Fleet finally finishes trying to figure out how to fold parachutes. He looks up at Galvatron again, then hunches his shoulders and scurries over to one of the actual parachutes. Scrapper would turn pale if he was not a painted space robot. As it is, his shovel sorts of flicks and skews. He protests, "But sir, it would take even more power than the Absolution's main reactor can muster to move planets! We," not him, in specific, but some other dudes, "barely managed it with Cybertron! We'd need, well... I don't really do spacebridges. They're Shockwave's thing." He crosses his arms. Scrapper does demented thrones, awesome cities, and random superweapons. "...but a lot of energy! Even if we drained the Charr core tap and... and... oh." He pauses, staring off into the distance. Hook is even more stunned when Galvatron lays out main goal and in a wiser gesture than Scrapper's keeps his vocalizer shut until he processes everything. "The space bridges will need to be reconfigured to work the other way around. Transporting what is outside of the ring instead of inside. Of course this means we can put the power source in the middle. Still...Scrapper's point is valid and err...I..I will get back to drawing board see if I can figure something out." Galvatron rubs his face a bit as he sighs. "I'm not sure I've made this clear--I DON'T CARE WHAT IT TAKES. I don't care if we have to power these things with miniaturized dwarf stars. I don't care if you have to power them by BURNING YOUR OWN BODIES inside the uplinks. Just get it done!" Midfold, Fleet looks up at Galvatron's shouting and ranting. He then looks around the asteroid. Then his wings droop. No way off the asteroid without being spotted - or without taking the ship they arrived in. Hmm, something to consider! Scrapper twiddles his fingers together, and he eeheehees, "Well, sir, you know, that Dyson Ring of ours? That produces massive amounts of energy that we have thus far failed to do anything productive with?" The Dyson Ring he just inspected as a safety hazard? "...well, we could use all that energy for /this/. Uhm. Unless you had other plans for it, my lord?" Scrapper looks left and right, eyeing the shuttle. Hook ponders how much power would a burning Cybertronian generate...His gaze wanders over to Fleet and stays there for a little while. Could Galvatron's madness be infecting the Decepticon's surgeon? Maybe...Or maybe he just secretely likes spooking people. Galvatron gives Scrapper an interested glance. "Oh? The Dyson Ring? Yes, that has been on the backburner for some odd reason--still, how are we supposed to use that energy in the uplinks when the uplinks will be nowhere near the Dyson Ring? Is it possible to transmit energy over such distances?" Yeah, that shuttle's still there, ramp open invitingly. Fleet knows you're looking at him, Hook! Mostly because he keeps looking around nervously. His parachute is mostly folded. Scrapper knows how much energy you can get out of burning someone. Don't ask. Not because this is horrific. Because Scrapper won't /shut up/ if you ask him about it. Scrapper rubs his chin, and he uuhhhs, "There's tightwave microwave beaming, but what would require line of sight. Processing and refining it all for shipment would be a massive pain but possibly doable..." He looks over at Hook, as if to ask 'help me'. Fleet's folding coincidently takes him a little closer to the shuttle. Hook reflects on Galvatron's question and turns to Scrapper. "It /should/ be possible. I mean...that /is/ what the spacebridge does in the first place. Transmit an energy beam from point A to point B. The mini-spacebridges might not be powerful enough to link up to the Dyson ring...but the Dyson ring should be powerful enough to reach them right? Maybe if we deployed a small relay satellite in orbit of the planet we want to move. Have the Dyson send a single beam over to the relay who will in turn send it to the mini-spacebridges on site? When we are done, we pack up the spacebridges and have Blast-Off pickup the relay satellite." Scrapper's fingers twitch, and he asks, "Well, what if we just..." he holds his hands out far, "squashed spacetime?" he brings his hands together. "You know, like artificially closing the distance that the transmission would have to cross? Or a subspace energy shunt... I mean, all the Reflector units can access the space subspace, correct, no matter how far separated? Shunt the energy into subspace on the ring and pull it out on the emitters." Galvatron looks between the two Constructicons. "You're going to put energy into subspace? I thought you people were always among those yammering about the dangers of putting certain things inside subpsace. Now you're telling you plan on stuffing PURE ENERGY into subspace and pulling out lightyears away?" He rubs his chin. "Can it work? And... hm... wouldn't you need more than one satellite to reach all of the transmitters?" Scrapper shrugs and has no idea who has been talking to Galvatron about that! He reminds, "Hey, I don't know about you, sir, but Long Haul subspaces energon cubes all the time," and Megatron used to draw power from a black hole. Scrapper is sure they've tried /dumber/ things before! Oh wait, that was the fractal cannon, last month. "You'd need a military transport-grade subspace pocket for safety, of course, but how safe is slinging PLANETS around going to be, anyway?" Hook rolls his optics behind his visor so no one can see. Is Galvatron lecturing the scientists on the 'Danger' of sending energy through sub space 3 weeks after he tried to destroy the universe? "Scrapper's got a point about the danger thing. As for the satellite it depends if we want to beam the energy simultaneously or have the satellite beam the energy down into a capacitor until all spacebridges are 'charged'. Multiple satellites WOULD be faster but take up more space and logistics." Fleet is a bit closer still to the shuttle, also still folding. He occasionally looks at it longingly, then he looks at the others - specifically, scary, scary Galvatron - and gets back to work. The shuttle's still powered up. Those blinking lights on the consoles are pretty enticing. "Bah!" Galvatron sneers. "It's not supposed to be safe. Of course it isn't safe. But IF the uplinks EXPLODE because of some sort of quantum mechanics..." He waves his hands around he struggles to explain what he's thinking. "...WHATEVER, then my entire plan will be undone! And that is unacceptable!" Hook gets a look from him. "Faster is better! But... they may take more time to deploy, as well. Hm. I'll let you Constructicons decide how many is sufficient." Hook pulls out his datapad and begins working on calculations and design ideas. Maybe if the satellite carried the drop pod with the mini-spacebridge and stayed in geo-synchronous orbit above them? That could work. "Fast and efficient with low safety coefficient. Parameters noted." Scrapper looks over at Hook and asks, <> He shakes his head. "Fine. Hook, you figure out the number of satellite uplinks. I'm going to get some /work/ done." He moves to start assembly of the actual capsules, and he looks over at Fleet, like he expects there to be folded parachutes by now. Fleet has folded at least one parachute! The rest need folding, however. He glances up, opens his mouth, preparing to ask why he's here, and then he thinks better of it. He looks back shuttle, mentally noting that 'low safety coefficient' thing that Hook just mentioned. Galvatron nods. "Very good, then! I expect your best, Constructicons!" And as he stands about, looking imperious as the engineers do the real work, the theme music starts up again. Hey I'm not complaining 'cause I really need the work Hitting up my buddy's got me feeling like a jerk Hundred dollar car note, two hundred rent. I get a check on Friday, but it's already spent. Scrapper tsks, "I estimate that even Bonecrusher could have folded three parachutes by now," though some of the parachutes would probably be explosive as a result, "Seekers these days. Do I need to rebuild you into a folding machine, hmm?" But Scrapper's working, working for the weekend! As montage music plays, the capsules start to look more assembled. So do the parachutes! Apparently the threat of being rebuilt as a folding machine is motivating. Hook continues working on the design and power relays. "Say...don't those stupid humans still have a field of radar dish somewhere to listen for extra-terrestrial life? Since aliens have long been proven to exist do you think they would throw a tantrum if we got a couple of those dishes?" He begins chuckling madly as he just had the most wonderous of ideas. It will serve Galvatron's purpose, hopefully prevent Decepticons from beind hurt AND confuse and annoy the Autobots. It's perfect! Galvatron watches the Constructicons go to work while he doesn't lift so much as a finger to help. "Yes, I have heard of this field of radar dishes. If you believe you can re-engineer into something that will actually have a purpose, then by all means. Though of course the Autobots will try to stop us anyway!" The scene takes an unexpected turn as it breaks the unwritten rules of montages by switching theme songs halfway through. Take your places Can we fix it Yes, we can Bob the Builder Can we fix it Bob the Builder Yes, we can Fleet has now finished folding parachutes and is innocently looking around as he gets ready to try and duck into the shuttle. Hook smiles as the gears keep turning in his head "I was hoping to re-use those dishes as uplinks to put on top of the space-bridge pointing up in order to receive the energy from the satellites. Plus a couple of dishes could be used in the satellite assemly as well." Perhaps it is actually a mix-tape. Even as Hook suggests an evil plot worthy of Greenpeace, the capsules Scrapper is working on are looking closer and closer to completion, as if they could be dropped as a test run now. Galvatron smirks wryly. "Well! Those human fools seem to have plenty of radar dishes to spare. Make it so, Hook!" He doesn't quite deliver the line with the class of some fictional human, but this is Galvatron after all. Scoop, Muck and Dizzy and Roley too Lofty and Wendy join the crew Bob and the gang have so much fun Working together, they get the job done (Galvatron would kill someone if he could hear these lyrics!) Wrong Star Trek actor doing the voice! Fleet eyes the shuttle. They'll probably use his even entering it as justification to do... whatever they're going to do to him, but they're going to do it anyway, and they don't need justification, so... might as well get it over with. Fleet enters the shuttle and begins the pre-flight checklist. The shuttle's console says, in a soothing female voice, "Control systems have been locked out by order of Lord Galvatron. Hail Galvatron." The music stops. Scrapper straightens, and he shouts over at the shuttle, "Oh, yeah! For the test run, we'll need to use the shuttle's reactor. Luckily, this asteroid isn't too large." Fleet's wings droop. Then he hears what Scrapper says, and immediately hurries back off the shuttle! Galvatron nods. "Hm, yes. It can supply enough to transport this rock? Then do that. I want to see if these things work, myself!" Hook finishes the design for the space-bridges with the dish and skyhooks and hears Scrapper mention he is ready for a first test. Hook hurries off near the shuttle...in case. Windshear has arrived. Fleet is just about to leave the shuttle when he notices the recharge birth is occupied. He frowns and prods at the other Seeker. "The parachutes are all folded, but I'm *sure* there's more work to be done." Hopefully by Windshear. Back in the shuttle, in a recharge birth is.. Windshear. He had taken a trip in the shuttle, flew who knows where and when he redocked, instead of leaving, he decided to go crash in the back cause he wanted to head out again in a few hours. So, he has no idea that the shuttle is not where he parked it and hes not alone. He suddenly feels a prod as reality is slowly comeing back to him and he stumbles out of the birth, "Wha...hey... whats going on?" "They're going to do something horrible to us," Fleet sighs as he heads towards the shuttle hatch. "But the more of us there are, the more likely at least one of us will survive." Granted, before Fleet woke Windshear up, *Fleet* was the one facing all the danger. Scrapper enters the shuttle to run some cable from its reactor out to the capsules that have been constructed outside. He noticed that Windshear appears to be awakening, and he calls, "Well hello, Sleeping Beauty! Decided to grace us with your presence?" "Oh, don't worry!" Galvatron says, "This experiment will be VERY dangerous. But not as dangerous as nobody volunteering to do it, let me tell you!" Windshear frowns as hes fully awaky and follows the fellow Seeker, "Something horrible? Huh? At least one will survive? Huh?" hes not liking the sounds of this at all but, well, not much he can do about it. He makes a mental note never to crash inside a shuttle again, ever. He hears 'beauty' and looks over at the Constructicon. "Yes as a matter of fact I have..." he smirks then stops and looks at Galvatron. "Danger is fine, sir. Lets get on wtih it!" Fleet considers matters. He *does* fear being a guinea pig, but he fears Galvatron more. He ponders a little longer, and is about to open his mouth when Windshear volunteers instead. Whew! That was close! Scrapper runs cables from the shuttle's own reactor out to three things shaped something like Apollo capsules. He explains, mainly because he is a cartoon villain, and it is in his contract to explain all evil schemes, "Those three capsules are spacebridge emitters. Now, while it is /possible/ to spacebridge large objects, such as planets, we generally don't, because of the energy constraints. Seriously. However, we think we have a work-around. So, we're just going to send this asteroid... where?" He pauses and looks over at Galvatron, questioningly. Galvatron rubs his chin. Into the sun? A black hole? That would be funny. "Hm. Just put it on the other side of this solar system. THIS time." Windshear watches what Scrapper does and then frowns as he looks at Galvatron. "The Shuttle is sitting on this asteroid, my Lord..." Scrapper winces and points out, "Sir, spacebridges require a point A /and/ a point B. We can't just spacebridge something into the middle of nowhere!" He touches his index fingers together, looking around nervously. He was /assuming/ that Galvatron had a logical place to put the planet he wants to steal, but assuming anything logical from Galvatron is a sucker's proposition. Fleet is now REALLY glad Windshear volunteered! Galvatron waves his hand at Scrapper. "Of course it does, I knew that!" Did he? Dare Scrapper even ask? "Nevermind, just enter these coordinates..." He hands the Constructicon a datapad full of space coordinates. Looks a bit familiar. Windshear looks at Fleet then back at Scrapper, "So uhm... Im not sure I want to know. What is my part in this...experiment?" Fleet beams happily as Windshear asks what his part is in the experiment. Showing any interest at all only confirms things, after all! Muahahaha! Scrapper explains very cheerily, "Oh, you'll just stay on the asteroid, to guide it through the gaping void and tear int reality to the other side, while the rest of us stick around here in the shuttle's away boat. Then, if you survive to the other side, you radio us! We'd just send the asteroid, but you know... space bridges to require a living mind to guide." Hmm. Those coordinates are VERY suspicious, Lord Galvatron! "If I survive?" Windshear asks. He rubs his seeker goatee brifely as he looks at the equipment Scrapper has set up. He knew that explanation was coming but still. Hes faced a lot of stuff in his past and been to a lot of places in his travels and been through lots of different modes of travel so to speak so hes not /that/ concerned. BUT... that /if/ he survives does bother him a bit. He looks at Galvatron and the rest. "Well...whatever... Lets get it over with." He knows hes not getting out of this so might as well get it done. Galvatron claps his hands once, beaming. "Excellent! Well, then! Let's all get back to the shuttle--well, except for our *volunteer.* But no matter. I'm sure you'll be *fine,* Windshear--hmhahahaha!" On that ominous note, Galvatron walks back into the shuttle. "Computer, unlock the controls!" "As you command, Lord Galvatron," the computer says, and sure enough the controls are released. Scrapper punches some commands into the capsules and also piles into the shuttle, very hastily. The capsules themselves won't be moving - they make the bridge. The bridge itself doesn't transport itself! Windshear stands a bit away from the capsules and prepares himself to 'guide' this asteroid along the path between space that the bridge hurls it into. He watches everyone board the shuttle and idly wonders what will be on the other side. Fleet sneaks aboard the shuttle before anyone decides it needs *two* guiding minds. There is a glow from the capsules as the bridging mechanism is engaged. Galvatron's shuttle fill report an extreme power draw in that pleasant female voice, the reactor near redlining. The glow spreads across the asteroid, slowly lighting up every inch of the surface, and growing in intensity. Galvatron taps his foot as he stands on the shuttle. "Well? Is it done, yet, Scrapper? When my plan is underway, time will be of the utmost importance!" Windshear watches the surface of the asteroid start glowing and then is suddenly hit with a lurch of .. force. Its the only way to explain it and then suddenly it feels as if his tanks are about to void out all the energon hes had for the past 1000 years. Wow, thats a horrible feeling and as he almsot physically struggles against that, the force of this asteroid being shifted into another space feels like its pressing on his body and trying to shred him to peices. Through this he fights to keep his concentration on the path in this space with this chunk of rock. Windshear has left. Galvatron suddenly yells, "Did it work? What's going on out there!?" He peers out the viewport. And with what would be an awesome sound effect, if there was any sound in space, the asteroid hurtles through a tear in time and space, taking Windshear with it! Then, the glow vanishes, and the tear closes, suddenly and violently, rocking the shuttle. Now, there are just the capsules hanging in space and the shuttle itself, its reactor almost completely drained. But did it make it to the other side? Windshear breaks onto the con chan sounding staticy. "Testing." he rasps rather unsteadily, "Can *Ssschhh* this up?" Scrapper says, "Ah, you aren't dead! Now, how is the asteroid?" Windshear fumbles with his comm to strengthen the signal. "Its still in one peice... so am I-- though I dont knwo about my fuel tanks..." he pauses for a moment then, "I am orbiting a single planet -- sun...with this odd HUGE black ring of .. something around it." Galvatron stumbles as a result of the subspace shockwave. "Nnngh!" But fortunately, he's able to grab an overhead handhold and stop himself just in time. Fortunately, that is, because he likely would have gotten very angry otherwise! Galvatron says, "Say no more! Excellent... excellent. Everything is going according to my plan, then!" Windshear says, "It pleases me that I was of some assistance, Lord Galvatron. Uh...how long will I be here?" Scrapper says, "Hmm. I guess we could send a shuttle to pick you up, considering your performance." Galvatron says, "Yes, yes, we'll pick you up. Eventually." Windshear is quiet for a moment then, "... Oh..." hes glad he knows how to survive...